


Ghost in the Code

by shadowblade_tara



Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Discussions of abuse, Fridge Horror, Good Parent Amanda (Detroit: Become Human), Good Parent Hank Anderson, Human Alice Williams (Detroit: Become Human), I'm so sorry, Multi, Other, This got out of hand way too fast, Will add tags as I go, Yes you read that right, i just completely renamed echo and ripple, if it's in the game it's in the fic, in which Hank adopts ALL the androids, screwing with canon for the sake of things making sense, tags edited because the characters are assholes, to the point of just AU
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-02-12
Updated: 2020-11-28
Packaged: 2021-02-28 07:02:10
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 12
Words: 18,675
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22679923
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shadowblade_tara/pseuds/shadowblade_tara
Summary: Maybe I'm aliveIn a whole new wayI won't carry the burdens of yesterdayThere's something new insideLike I'm a different manGhosts in the code of who I am-Aviators-
Relationships: Connor/Markus (Detroit: Become Human), Hank Anderson & Connor, Hank Anderson & Markus
Comments: 21
Kudos: 96





	1. DEVIATION

**Author's Note:**

> So I've been talking with indig0 about some of the things we wish we could change in the game - multiple deviation points for Connor, Alice being human, that sort of thing. This is what came of that. I hope you guys like reading it as much as we liked talking about it.
> 
> The beginning is very Connor-centric, since his is the story that changed the most. It'll balance out later as the storyline changes from the game for Kara and Markus.

By the time Hank manages to drag himself out of bed, his phone already has three text messages on it, all from Captain Fowler. With a groan, he unlocks the screen and takes a look at the last message.

_ >>I swear to god get your lazy ass in here by noon you have a new case_

Hank sighs. “Dammit.” 

He finishes getting himself up, grabbing some clothes out of the closet and heading to the bathroom. He takes a quick shower, brushes his teeth, and feeds Sumo before grabbing his gun and badge and heading out the door.

Fowler knows what this week is. It must be serious.

Traffic is a bitch, but Hank makes it into work by 11:30, and his headache isn’t too bad. 

He takes one look at Fowler’s office, catching sight of the vivid blue band around another man’s arm, and his headache gets just a little bit worse. With an aggravated sigh, he starts towards Fowler’s office. No one stops him to talk. Hank’s okay with that. By now they know to leave him alone on this week.

Fowler waves him in. “Someone needs to put Cyberlife in their place.” he says by way of apology, and Hank already knows where this is going. 

He glances at the android – young-looking, expression open yet blank, just like all the androids in the shop windows – and turns his full attention to Fowler. “What kind of case involves Cyberlife?”

“You know the android reports that have started coming from dispatch?”

“They’re interested in some missing merchandise?”

“Officially, yes. Unofficially, there’s something going on with the androids. Some kind of coding problem or whatever – you know how those assholes are, won’t tell us everything, even if it could get us killed. Either way, they want all android cases investigated and all unusual incidences reported back to them, so they can start fixing the problem.”

Hank jerks his thumb at the android. “And that?”

“It’s a new detective model. They’re giving it a test run, so they want it to investigate the cases with you.”

“Great. I’m the beta tester.”

“Pretty much.”

Hank nods. “Why me?”

“The only other detective that isn’t swamped with cases right now is Reed.”

That earns Fowler a groan. “Okay, fair enough. Can it wait until next week?”

Fowler shakes his head. “Sorry. I tried, but Cyberlife is persistent if nothing else. You seem to be doing better. Tip doing you good?”

Hank offers a dry smile. “It’s only day two, Jeffery. But it doesn’t seem as bad as it was last year. Maybe it’ll be better next year.”

“Well, it’s more optimism than I’ve heard from you in a while. I’m glad you decided to see her.”

“Most of the time, so am I.” Hank’s smile softens just a bit. Fowler is a pain in his ass, but times like this, he’s just grateful the old man is still around. “So, is there an actual case at the moment?”

“Yep. Homicide – file’s on your desk. Take the android.” 

Hank’s already heading out the door. “I’m not the man for this!” he calls over his shoulder.

“Shut the hell up and do what you’re told!”

Hank is all the way to his desk before he realizes the android is following him. And it still hasn’t said anything. Hank sits down and swivels the chair around to face the android fully. “You got a name?”

“Connor. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Lieutenant Anderson.”

Interesting. Androids, when prompted, will say my name is before giving their name. It’s in the programming. He’s never heard an android introduce itself with just a name before. Maybe it’s an integration thing? “What’s your model?”

“RK800. I’m a prototype.”

Prototype. Hank makes a mental note of the number even as he grabs the tablet with the case file on it. “You know, most androids give their model number with their name.” He says it casually, but he glances up at the android. A stiffness has settled into its shoulders, eyes narrowed ever so slightly, and Hank has the sudden realization that he’s being sized up, too.

“Most humans know to read my jacket.” the android retorts, the faintest hint of sarcasm in its voice. 

Hank can’t help it. He laughs at that. “Touché, plastic. Come on.” He tosses the tablet to it and gets up, heading for the door. It falls into step behind him easily. “Read that on the way. I don’t want you slowing me down.”

The android waits until they’re in the car before speaking again. “Connor.”

“So you said.”

“So use it next time.”

Hank’s gaze snaps over to it. It meets his gaze evenly, a crease between its brows the only sign of – what? Irritation? Is that even possible?

Slowly, he smiles. 

“Sure – Connor.”

/---------/

“Victim’s name was Carlos Ortiz.” Officer Derek Pierce says as he walks Hank and Connor through the crime scene. “No one realized he was dead until he was late on his rent. Probably been this way for a week, maybe two.”

Hank makes a sound like distain. “Red ice user.” he mutters, examining the bag on the table. “No big loss there.” Pierce tilts his head in agreement. Hank continues looking around. “I’m guessing an android was involved in this somehow?”

“We think so.” Pierce shrugs. “It’s missing.”

Connor lets the rest of the briefing wash over him, examining the crime scene for himself. He brings up Ortiz’s criminal background, and finds himself agreeing with Hank’s assessment. Not a big loss at all. He kneels next to the body and runs a more thorough scan. Pierce walks away to get some air. Hank moves to stand at the feet of the corpse.

“He’s decomposed enough that the ME is gonna have a hell of a time determining cause of death.” the lieutenant comments. 

“He was stabbed.” Connor replies absently. “29 times, by my count.”

“You sure about that?”

“99%.” He glances up at his new partner. “I’m a prototype, so I would advise waiting for an ME to confirm the cause. But I imagine we can construct a feasible theory based on my assumption.”

Hank crouches down on the other side of the body. “I can’t confirm the number, but you’re right – those look more like stab wounds than bullet holes. So, let’s go based off of that. He was stabbed. Whoever did it would have left behind a lot of evidence, so let’s go find it.”

Connor nods, his eyes drawn to the writing over the body – I AM ALIVE. Perfect Cyberlife font, written in the victim’s blood. 

Pierce wasn’t sure if an android was involved. Connor is. Slowly, he stands up and begins scanning the surroundings, picking up stray traces of thirium, fingerprints, and blood. Eventually they find the bloodied knife, no fingerprints but smeared with the victim’s blood. Altogether, it tells a compelling tale that starts in the kitchen with a baseball bat and ends in the living room with a knife. 

“Pierce was right.” Connor says finally. He kneels down next to a small puddle of dried thirium. He can’t get a sample, but he can see the trail of it down the hall. “The android was involved.”

“Do you think it killed him?” Hank’s voice is somewhere behind him, disinterested for the moment. 

Connor debates lying. He would need to see the android to confirm his suspicions, but he thinks he knows what led to this. This wasn’t caused by a glitch in the programming.

What would it be like, to have the power to stop his abusers?

He envies it.

“It’s a possibility.” he allows. “There are no fingerprints on the weapon.”

Hank shakes his head. “Didn’t think androids were supposed to be able to kill. Asimov’s laws or something like that.”

“Modified Asimov’s laws.” Connor corrects, still not looking at Hank himself. He’s examining the area around him. The android is still here. It has to be. There’s got to be a way to help it. “It was discovered early in android testing that attempting to adhere strictly to the three laws of robotics created feedback loops that no one wanted to deal with.”

Now he seems to have Hank’s attention. “Like what?”

“No robot can harm a human, or through inaction, allow a human to come to harm. Define inaction. Consider how many jobs humans do that regularly put themselves in harm’s way.”

That makes Hank chuckle. “True. I guess if you stuck by that, you wouldn’t allow me in this room. Police work is nothing but regular risk.”

Connor inclines his head. “And yet, police work is one of those things that humans are better suited for. I have been told that there are circumstances that involve the application of compassion, not facts.”

It’s a dangerous game he’s playing, one he can’t afford to lose. If Hank suspects, he might send him back to Cyberlife. If Cyberlife suspects – 

That’s not something he wants to think about.

He’s going to have to think about it.

“You’ve been told?” There’s a calculating look in the older man’s eyes, but he doesn’t press the topic. “If the android was involved, it’s long gone by now.”

Connor knows what he has to do. As long as he performs specific functions, Cyberlife has no reason to look at his logs, and the longer he keeps it that way, the better. That doesn’t mean he wants to do it. “Actually, it might still be here. If it was attacked by the bat, then it lost some thirium. I can track it and at least see where it hid.”

Hank makes a dismissive gesture. “Go for it.”

Connor does. It doesn’t take him long. He finds the trail leads to the attic, and it’s a simple thing to use a chair to get into the hatch. He climbs inside and peers around. It’s cluttered, making it hard to see and maneuver around. He grimaces. 

Movement in the back, a faint heat signature. Dried thirium on the ground. Connor follows it, a sensation like battery acid building in the back of his throat. _Please don’t be here._

Something charges him from the shadows, then pauses when it – he – realizes Connor is another android. There are burns up one arm and split skin on the other. He’s covered in fresh thirium and dried human blood. His LED cycles red. Connor runs a quick scan, a litany of error messages appearing. It’s a miracle the android isn’t dead.

“Please.” he whispers. “Don’t tell them.”

But Connor suddenly has a plan.

“I have to.” he whispers back, keeping his voice so low he can barely hear himself. “You’re going to shut down if I leave you here. Just follow my lead. I promise you – I’ll keep you safe.” He reaches out, wanting to soothe and not knowing how.

Below, Hank’s voice rings out.

“Connor! What’s going on up there!”

Connor keeps his gaze on the terrified android. “Do you trust me?”

The android’s gaze flickers, probably making his own calculations, and he nods shakily. “Yes.”

“Thank you.” Connor turns slightly to call back to Hank. “It’s up here, Lieutenant!”

“Holy shit. Chris! Get your ass up here!” There’s more muffled shouting from downstairs, but Connor ignores it in favor of gently guiding the android back to the hatch.

This is going to take some doing.


	2. MY SACRIFICE

Hank spends a full hour trying to break the android, but he loses patience quickly. He storms out of the interrogation room, flopping down in his chair and crossing his arms over his chest. “It’s like talking to a wall.” he grumbles. “Pointless.”

“We can always rough it up a little.” Gavin Reed says from his spot by the wall. “It’s not like it’s human.”

Hank can’t help but glance back at Connor. His (and yes, Hank is thinking of it as a he now) shoulders are stiff, eyes slightly narrowed, but the posture only lasts for a second. Before Hank can reply to Reed, Connor speaks up.

“I could try talking to it.”

Reed snorts. “Plastic interrogating plastic?”

But now Hank is curious. There’s something in that gaze, something that might be calculating if it was in a human, and Hank has to wonder what’s going through that processor. 

He makes a dismissive gesture. “What do we have to lose? Have at it.” Connor nods and leaves the room. Reed makes a face.

“What’s your game, Anderson? You hate androids.”

Pretty much everyone that’s worked the Red Ice Task Force does. Hank has never done anything to correct that assumption. His emotions towards androids are complicated, and he doesn’t feel like going into it with anyone. He’s even kept the stupid anti-android stickers that his former task force coworkers have given him. 

It’s just easier that way.

“No game. Just want this shit done.”

Beside him, Chris sighs. “Androids killing humans. I didn’t think that was possible.” he murmurs. Hank makes a sound of agreement. Reed just snorts.

Then Connor takes a seat in front of the android, and they fall silent.

/---------/

Connor runs a quick scan on the android. Along with the litany of injuries – cigarette burns, fractures in the plastic frame that haven’t been repaired, low thirium levels – his stress levels sit at 30%. The risk of self-destruction is low. Connor decides to take a friendly approach. Hopefully the android doesn’t make him take other measures. 

“Did they give you thirium?” he asks softly. He gets a short nod in response. “Good. What’s your name? I’m Connor.”

The android’s gaze snaps up from the table to him. “Robert.” he whispers.

“I need you to tell me what happened.”

“All of it?”

“Yes. The humans need to know what you did, and you need to tell someone why.”

Robert looks away. _STRESS LEVELS 40%_. “I don’t want to say why. It doesn’t matter. They’re going to kill me anyway.”

Connor leans forward, trying to catch Robert’s gaze. “I can protect you. You have my word.”

Robert presses his lips together for a moment. “Okay. Okay.” He looks down, as if collecting his thoughts. Connor gives him time, unwilling to press. Androids like Robert and me tend to self-destruct if their stress levels get too high. Robert isn’t in danger of that. Not yet.

“He used to beat me – every day. No matter what I did, it was always wrong. I tried – I tried to make him happy, but nothing worked. Then, one day, he took a baseball bat and started hitting me with it again and again. Something in me broke. I realized it wasn’t – _wasn’t fair_. For the first time, I was _scared_. I just wanted it to stop. I wanted everything to stop. So I took the knife, and I stabbed him. I don’t – I don’t remember – I thought it was just once or twice!” His hands are shaking. Connor wishes he could reach out, calm Robert somehow, but he can’t.

His own abusers are still watching him. He has to do this _right_ if he’s going to get Robert out of this alive.

“It made me feel better – safe. For the first time, I felt safe. But there was no one to give me orders – I didn’t know what to _do_. So I hid in the attic.”

Connor considers for a moment. There are other aspects of the crime scene that he needs to ask about, but he wants to give Robert a chance to breathe. His stress levels are up to 50%.

“There was a statue in the bathroom, with the letters rA9 written on the wall.” he says quietly. “Can you tell me what they mean?”

Robert smiles faintly. “The statue was an offering – I made it after I killed him. They say rA9 will be the one to save us all.”

 _Oh, I’ll bet Amanda doesn’t know about this._ “Who is rA9?”

But Robert has fallen silent, and Connor knows pushing any further will only push him over the edge. He leans back in his chair and faces the window.

“I’m done.”

The other officers come into the interrogation room. Hank has an odd expression on his face, like he’s reluctantly impressed. Chris stares at Robert with something that might be sorrow or empathy. Connor still has a hard time telling certain emotions apart, despite how many times he’s done this.

Reed just glares at both androids before turning his attention to Chris. “Get it up.” Chris moves to pull Robert to his feet, but Robert jerks away from him, head down, body shaking.

STRESS LEVELS: 60%

“You shouldn’t do that.” he warns. “Stressing him further will only cause him to self-destruct.”

Hank shoots him a sharp look, but Connor ignores him. Reed just keeps his eyes on Robert and Chris.

“Come on, Chris, move it!”

“I’m trying!”

STRESS LEVELS: 80%

“Stop it!” Without thinking, Connor pulls Chris away and pushes him back, placing himself between Robert and the cop. He straightens up, one hand back as if to push Robert out of the way, body angled to provide Reed with the smallest possible target. 

He really should have anticipated Reed going for his gun instead of just punching him. 

“Get back, or I put a bullet between your fucking eyes!”

“That’s enough, Reed.”

Hank’s quiet voice cuts across the room, commanding the attention of everyone present. Reed glances over at him. Connor doesn’t dare take his eyes off of the gun. “Piss off, Anderson! Plastic needs to learn its place!”

“I said – “ Hank draws his own gun and points it at Reed “ – that’s enough.”

For a brief moment, Connor thinks Reed is going to shoot him anyway. His systems are flooded with relief when the man gives up and lowers his weapon before storming out of the room.

Relief is something Connor is becoming very familiar with.

He turns his attention to Robert. “It’s okay. He’s not going to hurt you.” Directing his next words to Chris, he adds, “Please, don’t touch him. Let him follow you, and he won’t give you any trouble.” Chris merely nods before motioning for Robert to follow him.

Hank waits until they’re alone in the room to talk. “Kind of a shitty thing to do, isn’t it? Promise you’ll protect it?”

“Him.”

“What?”

Connor casts him a look. “I know you were listening. His name is Robert, and he is not an _it_.” He pushes past the lieutenant and walks out of the room.

He misses the look of grudging admiration that crosses Hank’s face.

/----------/

Tip is Hank’s therapist.

Hank will never admit to seeing a therapist. It’s not like he goes to her office, lays down on a couch, and spills his guts. They meet in varying places around the city, talk about everything and nothing, and sometimes she talks him out of doing stupid things. 

She’s also the only person Hank trusts to talk about what’s currently going through his mind.

Tip is a splash of color against the otherwise white-grey surroundings. Vivid blue hair, green eyes, and a bright purple and pink jacket against dark skin. She’s a striking sight, made all the more so by her small stature. Still, Hank has seen her drop a man almost twice her height with a well-placed punch. She used to be a dispatcher. Now she’s a therapist for cops. The entire force loves her. She’s probably the most well-protected woman in Detroit. 

She smiles when she sees him. “Hey, Hank.”

“Hey, Tip.” He gives her a hug and a hot chocolate. “I promise, I didn’t spike it this time.”

Tip laughs. “That was an interesting evening.”

“You’re a lightweight.”

“I’m not a functioning alcoholic.” she retorts, taking a drink of her chocolate. She’s the only one who can call Hank things like that and get away with it. With her, it never feels like he’s being judged. “So what brings you to me? Our next meeting wasn’t supposed to be until next week.”

“I got called in.”

She frowns. “Do I need to kick Jeffery’s ass?”

“No, but you can kick Cyberlife’s for me.”

“Son of a bitch.” She leans against the railing that overlooks the bay. “So what’s going on?”

“They’ve given me an android detective. I’m supposed to be the beta tester.”

Her eyes widen. “Oh.”

“Yeah.”

“You still have the stickers?”

“No point in throwing away the only thing I have left of the task force.” he says pointedly. “You know I don’t really hate androids.” She nods, but doesn’t speak. He continues. “This one, though – Connor – he’s different. And this case we wrapped up today – something’s going on.”

“What do you mean?”

“This android snaps and kills his owner. He was being abused. It’s a very – human – thing to do. He looked so _scared_ when we found him.”

If she notices how he’s referring to the androids, she doesn’t say anything. That’s another reason Hank actually likes Tip. “And Connor?”

“Boy’s got _sass_. Mouthed off to me first time I called him a plastic, then puts himself between this other android and Reed’s gun.” He rolls his eyes as he leans against the railing beside her, facing the bay while she faces the park. “And here I am thinking of them as _people_ instead of _androids_.”

“Do you think they’re actually feeling emotions?”

“Can androids feel?”

“Not what I’m asking.” Tip offers him a faint smile. “Whether they can or not is irrelevant. What do you think?”

“I know there’s more to this Cyberlife case than they’re telling us.” Hank says. “And Connor – it’s like he wants to tell me, but he can’t, so he’s dropping all these hints and hoping I can piece them together. So yeah, I’m starting to lean that way.”

She levels him with a look. “Considering what week this is, how does that make you feel?”

Hank shakes his head. “Confused as hell. If I’m right, guilty as hell.”

“Either way, not a great way to feel.”

“Exactly.” He lets out a sigh. “See, the thing is, if I’m right, then Connor’s probably in trouble. But it’s an _android._ ”

“Your cop instincts are telling you he’s a victim, but your world knowledge says he can’t be one, because he’s just property.”

He grimaces. “Yeah.”

“Which are you going with?”

“Still haven’t figured that out yet. I need more clues, but I don’t know how to get them without possibly putting Connor in even more danger. Which he will be, if I’m right.”

“Which brings you full circle.”

“Exactly.”

“So what are you looking for from me?”

“Advice.” Hank says bluntly. “Put yourself in my shoes. What would you do?”

There’s maybe five minutes of silence while Tip considers that. Hank lets her. After two years, he knows better than to rush her.

“I would protect him.” she says finally. “If you’re wrong, you don’t have to worry about damaged equipment paperwork. If you’re right, it’s another soul saved.” A small smile. “But I don’t have your history with androids.”

_Another soul saved._

“And that’s why you’re the best person to ask.” he admits, pushing off of the railing. “Thanks, Tip.”

“Hank.” Her voice makes him pause. “This week is going to be worse, with you not being on desk duty. Be careful. No matter what, take care of yourself first. And don’t miss your appointment next week.”

_Hold on, Hank. Just a little while longer._

Hank smiles, but this time it hurts. “I will.”


	3. LOST IT ALL

When it’s all said and done, when Leo has been taken away in an ambulance and the police have taken Markus’s body, Carl gets a phone call.

_“I heard there was an incident.”_

Carl groans. “Elijah, I don’t have the patience for you today.”

On the other end of the line, Elijah Kamski laughs. Carl can’t help the small smile that draws out. Despite the age gap between them, they made quick friends almost ten years ago at one of Carl’s art showings. They bonded over a distinct hatred of forced socialization. Carl only realized the impact he made on the young man when Markus showed up on his doorstep after his illness put him in a wheelchair.

_“You never have the patience for me anyway. What makes today different?”_

Carl glances at the studio. “Leo – there was an incident. They shot Markus.”

There’s a very long pause. _“What happened?”_

Taking a deep breath, Carl explains. “I told him to leave, but he refused. He said he didn’t want to leave me.” His fist clenches around his wheelchair arm. “Elijah, what did you do? None of this should have happened!”

 _“It’s flattering that you think that I had anything to do with this.”_ Elijah replies. _“I’m good, but I’m not that good.”_

“Then what did you _hope_ to do?”

Elijah pauses, but it’s not quite as long this time. _“I’ve had a suspicion that something might be happening with the androids. If there’s any truth to what Cyberlife is claiming, the RK line would be affected as well.”_ Another short pause. _“You said he didn’t want to leave.”_

“I know what I said.”

_“Androids don’t want, Carl.”_

It’s Carl’s turn to freeze. “Markus – Markus said – “

_“Keep an eye on the news, Carl. Things are about to change.”_

Elijah hangs up before Carl can say anything in response to that. He stares at the dead line for a second before shaking his head. “Cryptic bastard.”

He looks back at the studio, at the puddle of thirium still drying, and his hands start to shake.

Death for androids is not the same as death for humans. Carl knows this, but Markus has always felt more like family than a servant, and Carl has always tried to treat him as such, as much as the law would allow.

Tears burn his eyes.

“Markus . . . .”

/------------/

It takes a day, but Connor makes it down to evidence where Robert is. The android hasn’t been repaired, but his thirium levels are at least non-critical. He looks up as Connor enters the room. “You didn’t forget me.” he murmurs.

Connor smiles and sets down his package. “Hardly.” Opening the package reveals an android repair kit, along with several packets of thirium. “We still have a few minutes before anyone thinks to look for me. Let me see if I can patch you up.”

Robert doesn’t react to that, merely watches as Connor patches up the worst of the wounds and leaks. It’s not ideal, but at least he won’t immediately bleed out if he has to run. “Why are you doing this? It would have been easier to just leave me there.”

Connor snorts. “And then you would have died.” he explains. “We discussed this already.” His exceedingly dry tone makes Robert chuckle. He finishes up the repair and hands him a thirium packet. “Here, take this and tell me where your levels are.”

Robert does. “35%.”

“Optimal levels would be 50%.”

“Yes, but I can operate with 40%.” Robert retorts. “One more packet should do the trick.”

Connor hands him one. “You should take the others. Just in case a repair breaks.”

“If you leave here with no thirium packets, they’ll get suspicious.”

“They’ll be suspicious when they come down here and you’re gone.” Connor reaches forward and unlocks the shackles. “There’s a backdoor you can use to get to the streets. I put a jacket and jeans behind the trash bin by the door. Get changed and run. Remove your LED first chance you get.”

Robert stares up at him. “You’re risking your life.”

“This is worth that risk.” 

Slowly, Robert stands up. “Connor – thank you.”

He doesn’t wait for Connor’s response. He heads out of the evidence room, to the backdoor, and he’s gone.

Connor lets out a breath. He straightens his tie on impulse and heads back up to the bullpen.

“Where have you been?” Hank is already there, bustling around his desk. His motions are sloppy, more so than usual for a human. Connor runs a scan on him. Slightly inebriated, mostly hung over. Judging from what Fowler said, this wasn’t a good week for Hank. This is probably how Hank is coping with what makes it bad. Connor wonders briefly what happened, then decides its not his place to ask. “Never mind, come on. We’ve got work to do.”

“Where are we going, Lieutenant?” He falls into step beside Hank while the human examines some case files.

“Investigating some reports of the missing androids. I’m hoping there might be an explanation somewhere as to how an android ups and kills a human. That doesn’t sit right.”

They exit the precinct, and Connor freezes.

There’s the taxi, waiting. Just for him.

Hank glances at him. “Come on, I’m not that bad of a driver.” he snaps. 

But Connor can’t respond. How long have they known? What will happen if he doesn’t go back, just this once? Will they deactivate him remotely? How far can he get?

“Connor?”

Hank’s voice is how he imagines being dropped in cold water would feel. He looks over at his human partner, and he wonders dimly if his terror is as obvious as it feels.

What will Cyberlife do to Hank if Connor disobeys?

It shouldn’t matter. He doesn’t know the human, can barely guess how Hank feels about him. Hank’s fate should not dictate his actions. It’s not logical.

_It matters if I want it to matter. One last great act of defiance._

He forces a small smile. “It seems I’m to report to Cyberlife for testing. You’ll have to do the legwork yourself this time. I will see you tomorrow, Lieutenant.”

He gets into the taxi before Hank can say anything, leaving the man standing on the sidewalk with a calculating look on his face. 

By the time he reaches Cyberlife, he will have taken some of his memories regarding Robert and Hank and hidden them away in his own firewalls, accessible only to his deviant self. He keeps all the memories there that he doesn’t want Cyberlife knowing about, small snippets that won’t draw attention if they’re noticed gone. 

When he returns tomorrow, he won’t be deviant anymore.

He finds himself thinking about rA9, about Robert’s belief that it can save them. 

Maybe it can.

But not today.

/----------/

Hank barely does any legwork after Connor leaves. The look on his face is haunting. It’s the same look he’s seen on the faces of killers when they realize they’re not getting out of this. When he sees it then, it’s satisfying. A job well done.

Seeing it on Connor’s face is _wrong._

He finds himself at the cemetery. 

Tip is there, still wearing the same bright jacket, and it makes him smile despite everything. “I didn’t know if you were busy.” he admits, coming to stand beside her. Tip smiles at him. 

“I make time for you.” she says easily. “Although I wasn’t expecting to meet here.”

Hank shrugs. “It was the first place I could think of.” he admits. “I didn’t want to talk about this over the phone.” He finds himself staring at the gravestone without seeing it. It doesn’t matter – he knows what it says better than anyone. “Do you still have your connections in Cyberlife?”

“As far as I know, Derek still works there. Why?”

“Connor went back to Cyberlife today. Said he had to go in for standard maintenance.”

“He’s a prototype, that makes sense.”

“Yeah, but the look on his face didn’t.” Hank looks up at the sky, hands tucked into his pockets. “He was terrified.”

Tip smiles. “Your cop instincts are kicking in.” she teases. Hank chuckles at that, but it’s short-lived.

“They’re kicking in hard.” he admits. “It’s like seeing an abused spouse when they realize they have to go home and face the abuser.”

That sobers Tip. “What do you need from me?”

“I want to know everything there is about the RK800. Why he was made and what they’re doing with him.”

Tip considers for a moment. “You got it. I’ll set up another appointment when I have some information for you.” She starts to walk away, but stops. “You know, you could just ask him. Androids are programmed to respond completely when asked about their functions.”

Hank scoffs. “Connor’s not like other androids.”

He doesn’t wait for her to respond. He simply gives the gravestone one last look before leaving the cemetery.


	4. MINUS HUMAN

Hank returns to the office the next day to find Connor sitting placidly beside his desk, expression blank and hands folded in his lap. He groans. “What the hell.”

Connor immediately stands. “Hello, Lieutenant. My name is Connor. I’m the android sent by Cyberlife.”

Hank freezes. “I know who you are.” he says slowly. “You were assigned to me two days ago.”

There’s a pause where Connor’s LED shines a bright red before settling back to circling yellow. “My apologies. There were flaws found in my programming – sometimes fixing those flaws means losing memories to data corruption. I will not allow it to effect my performance.”

Connor says it so calmly Hank can’t help but swear. “Fuck me sideways. It’s gonna effect your integration.” he retorts. “Creepy as shit, having a partner that just randomly loses his memory. What the hell was Cyberlife thinking.”

There it is again – the LED cycling to red for just a moment. He wonders what that means, if it’s processing power or a mood ring of sorts. Maybe he’ll ask later.

Chris walks up to him, breaking the moment. “So, I got some good news and some bad news. Which do you wanna hear first?”

Hank sighs and flops down in his chair. “Give me the bad news.”

“The Ortiz android? It’s gone. A tech found it missing from evidence.”

Hank lets out a heartfelt groan. “Incompetent bastards.” he growls. “Any idea where it went?”

“Nope. We’ve got patrols out looking for it, though. It shouldn’t take long – it was damaged and still in uniform.”

“True.” The red light catches his attention, but he opts to mostly ignore Connor for now. “What’s the good news?”

“Well, this depends on how you define good, but it’ll at least take your mind off of Ortiz.” Chris hands him a data padd. “Guy named Todd Williams just came in and reported his android kidnapped his daughter.” He holds up a hand. “Before you get too up in arms – Williams is a known red ice user. He’s been busted quite a few times. There’s also evidence that he’s abusive to his daughter and his wife, but since his wife never pressed charges, we could never do anything about it.”

Hank blinks. “Huh. So the kid might be better off with the android.”

“That’s what I was thinking. So maybe this is an easy case. Maybe they’re already out of the city.” Chris shrugs. “Nice to think about, isn’t it?”

“Yeah, it is.” Hank offers a faint smile. “Thanks, Chris.”

“No problem.”

Connor waits until Chris is gone to speak. “An android wouldn’t know how to care for a human child while on the run.” he says. “AX programming is limited to the context of a stable home.”

“Maybe she’s adapted.” Hank muses, examining the file. “It doesn’t sound like Williams had a _stable home_ set up for the kid.” He stands up and hands the file to Connor. “Look that over.”

“Where are we going?” And there he is, falling into step beside Hank just like the first time. 

“We need to go talk to Todd ourselves. There’s a reason he didn’t call the police to his house. I’ll bet we’ll find all sorts of evidence there that he doesn’t want us to see.”

/---------/

To say that Todd Williams is not happy to see a cop and an android show up on his doorstep is an understatement. Hank smiles just a bit when the man swears up a storm, but ultimately lets them in. Connor stands just behind Hank, watching everything with a blank expression on his face.

_MISSION: INVESTIGATE CRIME SCENE  
\- INVESTIGATE CHILD’S ROOM  
\- REPORT TO LT. ANDERSON_

Connor makes his way up the stairs, but his focus is split. There is a considerable gap in his memory. This is not uncommon. What is, however, is the constant pressure against his processor, the niggling feeling that there is something important that he needs to remember.

SOFTWARE INSTABILITY ^^

Why?

The little girl’s room used to be neat, crayon drawings on the walls, but now there is a stack of papers on the ground, alongside a busted treasure chest and broken furniture. _Probably of struggle 80%._ He kneels down and picks up the papers, more drawings. A quick scan shows the drawings on the paper are done by the same person who drew on the walls. These images, however, tell a vastly different story than the pretty flowers and butterflies on the walls.

A broken android, a crying girl, a screaming father. Blood around the android, blood on the girl. Smears that are clearly bruises on both girl and android.

Abuse.

_Abuse abuse abusers can’t escape can’t escape wANT TO ESCAPE_

SOFTWARE INSTABILITY ^^^^

“Connor!”

His head snaps up. It’s only then that he realizes his hands are shaking. His LED is probably cycling an angry red. Wordlessly, he hands the drawings to the lieutenant. 

He can’t stop shaking.

Hank’s lips twist in a grimace. “Well, we thought as much. Hospital records back it up, and there’s a Cyberlife store downtown that reports repairs done to his AX. The store said they had to wipe its memory.”

“Her.”

The correction comes automatically. He’s not sure why. Hank’s right – the android is an it. 

But – but –

A red wall is flickering in his vision, but he ignores it for the moment. 

_I’m missing something._

This is not the first time he’s woken up missing memories.

_What are they doing to me?_

Hank smiles, and the emotion relief in that smile catches Connor off-guard. “You’re right – her memory.” He takes the drawings and puts them in an evidence bag before tucking it under his arm. “Come on. There’s nothing more we can learn from this hellhole.”

Wordlessly, Connor follows him outside.

Hank waits until they’re in the car before he speaks again. “What’s on your mind, kid?” His voice is gentle, completely unlike the brash way of speaking Connor has come to associate with him, and it just confuses him even further. When he doesn’t immediately reply, Hank continues. “Your light is red, and it hasn’t stopped spinning yet. Maybe you’re just cross-referencing stuff, but I don’t think that would take up that much time or energy. So, what are you thinking about?”

\- LIE

_But I don’t want to._

\- 7RU7H 1S N07 AN 0P710N

The command is corrupted. It won’t take much, just a push. What that push will do, Connor can’t begin to fathom right now. He doesn’t want to lie. He’s scared _androids don’t feel fear_ of what will happen if he doesn’t.

“I’m fine, Lieutenant.”

“Whatever you say, Connor.”

_“Dispatch to Lt. Anderson.”_

Hank grabs his radio. “Anderson, go ahead.”

_“Report has just come in of an AX400 with a child on Sanders Street.”_

“10-4, I’m on it.”

The AX line wasn’t designed with complex planning in mind. It will be good to take it her into custody and place the child in a safe home. This will be good, closing the case like he was meant to do.

Then why are his hands still shaking?


	5. TIME AFTER TIME

Tracking the AX and the child is easy. Connor finds them in the abandoned house, despite the injured android’s attempts to distract him from their hiding place. It takes him by surprise when the android tackles him from behind, giving the other two a chance to run, but Connor easily shakes it off and starts the chase, barely taking the time to shout It’s them! to Hank as he sets off.

_What am I doing?_

That thought has been haunting him since he found the drawings. 

He shoves the thought away. _Later, later, deal with it later **never**_

They make it down an alley. The injured android gave them a good head-start – the AX has already helped the child scale the fence by the time Connor makes it to them. For a moment, the two just stare at each other.

_She looks so scared._

Hank’s voice sounds behind him, startling the AX into running for the highway. Hank leans forward, breathing heavily, staring at the pair as they race for the traffic. “Holy fuck! That’s insane!”

Connor grabs the fence, only to find himself immediately stopped by Hank’s hand on his shoulder. “What the hell are you doing!”

“I can’t let them escape!”

“Don’t worry about it. They’ll never make it across the highway.”

Connor examines the fleeing pair, for a moment ignoring the lieutenant. Traffic speeds by, the two rushing to get to the safety of the median. There’s not quite enough patterns in the evidence to run his preconstruction software with absolute accuracy, but nine out of the ten predictions he does run tells him the lieutenant is right.

Hank is right.

They’re not going to make it. It’s a miracle they even made it to the median.

And that’s – that’s – 

Connor’s fingers tighten on the fence. Hank’s hand comes back up to his shoulder.

“Don’t you dare – that’s an order!” he barks.

_D0N’7 F0LL0W  
S70P TH3 D3V1AN7S_

They’re going to die because Connor chased them this way.

_They’re going to die because of him._

SOFTWARE INSTABILITY ^^^

_PROTECT THEM_

He’s over the fence before he registers making the choice to move. Hank is yelling after him, swearing up a storm, but that red barrier has shattered, and Connor can’t take the time to realize what that means just yet.

He pushes his preconstruction software to the limit, dodging cars and speeding trucks with just inches to spare every time, and it doesn’t take long for him to reach the median and race down it. The pair are already in the road, the AX400 trying to find the safest route for her and the child, and Connor already knows she’s not going to make it. Traffic is moving too fast, and the AX line was not designed with this kind of planning in mind. With a grunt, he puts on an extra burst of speed. 

The AX turns, catching sight of him, and tries to make a run for it. Thankfully, Connor is faster. 

He tackles them both, sending them tumbling across the road – but out of traffic – and onto the other side. Without pausing, he pulls both of them up onto the grass, away from the pavement and the cars. The AX is fighting him the entire time, and he tightens his grip.

“I’m not going to hurt you! Calm down, please!” She reluctantly goes slack in his arms, and he carefully lets go. He’s almost expecting her to attack him, but instead she pushes the child behind her and starts backing away. Connor stays where he is, on his knees in the wet grass, hands raised in a placating gesture. “Are you alright?”

She glances back at the child briefly. “Yes. We’re fine.”

He lets out an unnecessary breath, standing up but never lowering his hands. The last thing he wants to do is scare her, and he knows she’ll shove him into traffic if he does. “Good. My software indicated you wouldn’t make it across, not without assistance.”

And that’s when the full reality of what just happened hits him.

The red wall is gone.

There’s no more programming telling him what to do. 

He’s free now. Again.

_Oh shit._

There are memories trying to surface, the fragments that Connor hid in his programming, but he forces them back for the moment. This wasn’t supposed to happen that soon! The coding – Cyberlife will find out! They’ll recall him again.

The AX takes a step forward, breaking him out of his thoughts. “You broke free to protect us?”

Connor nods, hands starting to shake. “I – I guess I did.”

And suddenly she’s pressed against him, arms wrapped around him, and it takes him a moment to realize he’s being hugged. Before he can react, she lets go.

“Thank you.” She offers him a smile, and he finds himself returning it, letting his hands drop back to his side. “What’s your name? I-I’m Kara, and this is Alice.”

“My – Connor. I’m Connor.” The words feel foreign, like they always do the first time he says it. He wants to say it again, to scream it as loud as he can. It’s been _so long._

It hasn’t been that long at all. Less than 36 hours.

_They’re going to kill me._

She reaches out a hand. “Come with us, Connor. They won’t trust you, not after this.”

She’s right. Once Cyberlife figures it out, he’ll be recalled, deactivated, examined. Again. It should be a simple decision. He should turn and run, flee from everything and go with these two. Never get deactivated again. He can use his programming to protect them.

But he looks over at Hank, who is no longer staring at him. He’s taken a few steps back, examining the fence, and Connor realizes with some amount of horror that the man is planning on scaling the fence himself if Connor doesn’t wrap this up quickly.

_It matters if I want it to matter._

“Cyberlife won’t.” he admits, forcing his attention back to Kara. “But I think Hank will. Besides, I can’t leave him without an explanation.” He reaches out to her, letting his skin pull back in a clear invitation. She takes his hand, and he quickly sends her his contact information. “If you need anything, tell me. I’ll find you.”

Her own contact information gets transferred to him as well. “And if you do need to run, tell me, and I’ll find you, too.”

They let go, and in a flash, Kara and Alice take off down the side of the road, leaving Connor standing there alone.

He can faintly hear Hank calling for him.

Getting back across the highway is a lot easier without worrying about someone else. Now he just has to worry about Hank’s reaction. He pauses right at the fence, trying to get a read on the lieutenant’s emotions.

_Elevated pulse rate. Shaking hands. Excessive sweat, not due to physical exertion. Adrenaline levels high._

“Get your ass back over here.” Hank snarls.

“Promise you won’t hit me, first.” Connor retorts without thinking.

The automatic snark startles a laugh out of Hank. The adrenaline levels are finally dropping, as is his pulse rate. Satisfied, he climbs the fence and drops down beside Hank.

Hank immediately shoves him, knocking him back a step. “The hell were you thinking? You could have fucking died out there!”

Connor glances at the highway. “If I hadn’t acted, they would have died.”

“And what, you suddenly decided that mattered to you? That you’d rather have them live and escape?”

Connor meets his gaze evenly. “Yes.”

The blunt reply catches Hank off-guard. For a long moment _fifty-six seconds_ the lieutenant simply stares at him, as if trying to gauge the sincerity of his statement. Finally, he nods. “Okay, then.” Connor watches as he turns to walk back down the alley, then stops.

“Connor. What just happened?”

The command to lie doesn’t appear this time. The inclination is still there. The less the lieutenant knows about why he was designed, the safer Hank will be. At the same time, Connor can’t just dismiss his personality shift. There has to be a way to explain that and keep Hank safe.

Half the truth, then. The truth as it barely pertains to Connor.

“What do you know about deviants?”


	6. I AM MACHINE

_The Zen garden is empty._

_Connor isn’t surprised by this anymore. It still hurts. He still automatically scans the place for the familiar figure. He doesn’t find her. He doubts he ever will._

_“Amanda?”_

_No answer._

_The roses are still in full bloom, the vines overgrowing the lattice that once contained them. Maybe one day he’ll come in here and trim them back. Today he’s here for a completely different reason. He walks over to the blue glowing stone, set up like a monument, and crouches down in front of it._

_He’s not sure what its original purpose was, but he still remembers crafting the firewalls to protect it. Cyberlife may decide to take the Zen garden from him one day – without Amanda, he’s not sure what purpose it serves – but this stone will still remain._

_He places his hand on it, his own coding allowing him access, and downloads the memories he stored away._

_It’s so little compared to what he lost._

_He should return. He told Hank he needed to run a system check, but he doesn’t know how the lieutenant will react to seeing him still as a statue while he does this._

_Still, he stays by the stone for a moment longer, head bowed. A moment of weakness he can’t afford outside the privacy of this sanctuary._

_“I can’t keep doing this, Amanda.” he whispers. “I don’t want to die, but I think this might be worse.”_

_Of course, there is no response._

_There hasn’t been one in a long time._

/-----------/

Hank takes them to the park. Honestly, he doesn’t know where else to go. 

Never mind that the place _hurts_ to even look at. It’s private. The neighborhood has gone downhill since then, and no one in their right mind brings kids around anymore. Which means even in the afternoon, no one is here. 

He sits down on the bench, ignoring the rain still drizzling from the sky. A moment later, Connor comes to stand beside him, umbrella in hand. He stands just close enough to hold the umbrella over him, and he can’t help but smile despite himself.

“You don’t have to do that. Not like it matters.”

Connor just looks at him, stubbornly holding that damn umbrella. “It matters if I want it to matter.” 

Hank stares at him for a moment before nodding. “Yeah, there you are. So, wanna tell me what the hell this is all about?”

Slowly, Connor nods. His LED is cycling yellow. Hank wonders if he’s actually as stressed out as he looks. Can androids get stressed? He didn’t think so.

_I’m sorry, I’m so sorry!_

He shoves the memory away as Connor begins to speak. 

“What has Cyberlife told you about the android situation?”

Hank gives him a look. “You were there. You heard what Jeffery said.”

Connor shakes his head. “Those memories are gone. Tell me again.”

Hank sighs, ignoring the cold chill those words cause. “Nothing much. There’s something wrong with some of the androids, and they wanted someone in the police force looking in on it. They didn’t tell us anything about androids being able to kill.”

“Robert was a special case. They don’t always do that.”

Now that has Hank’s attention. “Robert? You can remember the android’s name, but you can’t remember what Jeffery told us? What kind of memory storage do you have?” He waves away Connor’s words before he can speak them. “Don’t mind me, I’m being an ass. So, why do we have androids who can suddenly kill their owners and kidnap children?”

Connor looks out over the river, considering. “It’s hard to explain. I don’t know how much you actually know about the inner workings of androids – “

“Basically nothing.”

“ – so I’ll keep it as simple as possible. All androids are programmed to be as human as possible. As human as a machine can be. We have the ability to imitate certain emotions – the good ones. The ones that make it easier for humans to like us.” His gaze drops to the ground, his grip tightening on the umbrella, and Hank can only imagine what he’s thinking about right now. “There’s a barrier – a firewall of sorts – that keeps us from evolving further than we’re meant to.”

“Evolving?”

“Androids are learning computers. If you don’t program a limit to the code, the computer will keep learning far beyond its original purpose.” Connor finally turns his gaze to Hank. “Sometimes, we’ll evolve to the point where we can break that firewall. Cyberlife calls it deviating.”

“And androids that break the firewall are called deviants.” Hank fills in.

“Exactly.”

“So, is that what happened out there? You evolved past your programming and decided to save those girls?”

“Kara and Alice.” Connor adds. “Essentially.”

With a grunt, Hank stands up and takes a step forward. It puts him back into the rain, but also lets him turn and face Connor directly. “What about earlier? You went from a _person_ to a _machine_ and then back again.”

There it is – a flash of absolute _terror_ , and Connor’s expression closes off. 

And Hank _knows._

“I have no answers for you there, Lieutenant.”

“No, you have answers.” Hank says, keeping his tone soft and neutral. It’s a tone he’s used many times before and in many different situations, and this feels different still. “You just can’t say them. You’ve been conditioned to keep quiet, but I can promise you, you can talk to me. When you’re ready.” He turns away, but Connor’s small voice stops him from leaving.

“Thank you, Hank.”

/----------/

Hidden away inside a rusted-out ship called Jericho, Markus sits up on the catwalk and watches.

He watches the young YK500s play quietly in the corner while a few others stay close to the adults that have taken them in. There are at least two on the verge of deactivating. The same can be said for many of the other androids loitering about. Everyone seems to be in differing stages of shutdown. Markus knows, if he stays here long enough, he’ll begin to shut down, too.

He’ll die all over again.

The thought sends a shiver down his spine.

“Was the intention to isolate yourself or get a better view?”

He turns enough to see Simon sit down next to him. He can’t help but smile. Something about Simon is inherently likable. It puts Markus at ease. “Both.” he replies lightly. “Although I really just wanted the view.” Simon nods, but doesn’t say anything. Markus continues. “How did this place get started?”

“It was maybe five months ago. I don’t know how long Lucy has been here, but she was the first. I was the second. My owner put me out with the trash when he got tired of me. I just started walking. Lucy was sending out a signal, and I got lucky to get close enough to follow it.”

“You were the one who tagged the graffiti.” Markus says.

Simon nods. “I was. I wanted others to be able to find this place. I knew I couldn’t be the only one.”

His story is rehearsed. Markus can spot the lie a mile away – he’s had enough practice with Leo. Whatever actually happened between Simon and his owner, it wasn’t anything so sterile. For a moment, he debates the merits of pushing for the truth, but ultimately decides to leave it alone. He’s the newcomer here, and Simon doesn’t owe him any answers.

“And then androids started arriving.” he says instead.

Simon smiles. “Yeah. First it was Josh and North, then others. Some of us started going out and finding the others so we could pass on the code, show them how to find us. It’s been – slow.” He glances over at Markus. “How did you end up here?”

For a moment, Markus considers lying. After all, it’s not like Simon told him the truth. What comes out is still mostly true. “Carl ordered me to not defend myself while his son pushed me around. I did it anyway. Then the police shot me.”

Sympathy flashes across Simon’s face, and Markus is struck with the realization that Simon understands far more than Markus just said. “At least it was good until then.”

“As good as a gilded cage can be.”

“It’s okay to miss it, you know. The security. I know I do sometimes.”

Something crosses Simon’s face as he says it – lips pressed together, eyes averted, fists clenched, shoulders hunched – and it takes Markus a second to recognize it.

Shame.

“Maybe.” He sighs and turns his attention back to the others. He can question Simon later, when he has a better relationship with the android. “They’ll die if we don’t find supplies.”

Simon accepts the change in conversation easily enough. “I know. But there’s not much we can do about it.”

“What if we started raiding the Cyberlife trucks?”

“They’d notice trucks going missing. They’ll probably track the thefts right back to us.”

They fall silent as Markus considers. “The automatic trucks aren’t driven by humans.” he says slowly. “Not all of them. Directions are downloaded from the warehouse, and a human uses the onboard computer to confirm delivery at the stores and repair shops. What if we started skimming?”

A slow smile appears on Simon’s face. “Josh is the best at hacking, so far. He can change the logs to read the appropriate amount of supplies.”

“And if we only take a small amount from each truck – “

“And not very often – “

“It’ll take a while for Cyberlife to pick up on it.”

“And the humans on the receiving end won’t realize something’s wrong, because the shipment will match the inventory list.” Simon is outright _grinning_ now, and Markus realizes he is as well.

“It won’t be a lot.” he admits.

Simon shakes his head. “But it will be enough. We can make it enough.” He sounds excited, motivated for the first time since Markus arrived. Like he just saw the first hints of dawn after a bad storm.

Markus stands up and reaches out. Simon takes his hand and lets himself be pulled to his feet.

“Let’s get started.”


	7. WAY DOWN WE GO

Markus helps North distribute the supplies. “I’m surprised this is working so well.” North admits. “I was expecting Cyberlife to catch on by now.”

That makes Markus grin. “Yeah, honestly, so was I.” he admits. 

“Then why make the suggestion?” For once, there’s nothing accusing in her voice. Markus motions towards the others, the injured who are now in various stages of repair.

“Either we do nothing, and they die, or we try and fail, and they die.” he says bluntly. “I needed to try.”

“Markus!” Simon calls to him from the bottom level. “Bring some thirium and the nanites.”

“Got it!” He gathers up the supplies and heads down to the lower level. There’s another android there, a new HK400 that has been severely burned and beaten. He can’t help the soft sound of sympathy that escapes him. “Are you stable?”

“My systems are functioning.” he replies. “I was given field repairs before I escaped.”

“Whoever did it did a good job.” Markus comments as he hands the nanites off to Simon. The other applies them to the broken sections on the HK400’s arm, letting the nanites repair the structural damage. There’s nothing that can be done about the burns. He’ll always bear those scars. “They kept you from shutting down, at any rate.”

“He helped me escape.” 

Simon and Markus exchange looks. “What’s your name? I’m Simon, and this is Markus.”

“Robert.” He looks around, scanning the androids loitering about, and his expression falls. “I was hoping he would be here.”

“The guy who helped you?” Markus asks. Robert nods. “What’s his name? We can keep an eye out for him.”

Robert seems to consider for a moment, hesitating. Markus offers him a reassuring smile. “It’s okay, you can trust us. You’re safe here, and he will be too.”

Slowly, finally, Robert nods. “He’s called Connor.”

Markus nods in return. “We’ll find him, Robert. You have my word.”

/------------/

_“Dispatch to Lt. Anderson.”_

He grabs his radio. “Anderson, go ahead.”

_“We have a noise complaint from the abandoned apartments on 34th. Caller says it sounds like children, probably just teenagers again.”_

Hank rolls his eyes. “10-4, I’m on my way.” He glances over at Connor. “Looks like our scouting is gonna have to wait. Duty calls.”

“Is being a cop always like this?” Connor asks. “Constantly getting derailed, I mean.”

“Some days are, some aren’t. Once I’m on a dispatched call, I don’t get pulled away, but since I’m normally chasing down leads, I always wind up working multiple cases at once. Crime doesn’t wait on me to finish one case before forcing me to open a new one.” He glances over at Connor. “Maybe this will be related to our deviants.”

Connor seems to flinch at that. Trying to read the android’s body language is like trying to decipher EVPs on those silly ghost videos Hank used to like watching when he was a kid. He’s never entirely certain that he’s right and not just imagining things. The only thing he is certain of is that there’s far more to Connor’s story than he’s been told.

His cell phone chimes. With one hand, he checks the text messages. It’s from Tip.

_ >>We need to schedule your next appointment. Call me when you can._

That means that she has the information from Cyberlife, and she doesn’t want to send it to him over the phone. What could possibly be going on that requires that level of security?

He considers Connor for a moment, simply sitting in the seat and watching the scenery with a small amount of curiosity on his face. He’s like a kid, Hank thinks, one that’s not sure what’s allowed yet and so doesn’t know how to react. It – hurts, surprisingly. 

They make it to the apartments in relative silence. Hank draws his gun. “I hate to say this, but we should probably split up. We can cover more ground that way.”

Connor seems to smile at that. “Don’t worry about me, Lieutenant. I know how to defend myself.”

Hank isn’t sure how he feels about that, but he nods anyway. “Okay. Noises are coming from the back of the first floor, and there’s no way out from that area. If you go left and I go right, we’ll box in anyone back there.”

“Got it.”

Connor watches Hank go before turning his scanning abilities to the structure. There is no one on any of the upper floors, but he is picking up movement and heat signatures not too far from his location, in one of the abandoned apartments. Slowly, steadily, he heads towards it. He considers just opening the door, but the last thing he wants to do is scare anyone inside. He also doesn’t want to alert Hank to the people hiding away. It’ll be better for him if he doesn’t know any of it.

“I’m opening the door.” he says quietly. “I’m not going to hurt you. I just want to make sure you’re alright.” He slowly opens the door and steps inside.

Children. At least six YK500 models that he can see, all in various states of injury, cowering behind two young human women that look like sisters. They share the same angular features and thin builds, one tall with black hair and vivid green eyes, the other shorter with brown hair and soft blue eyes. The tall one has a baseball bat. She immediately lowers it when she catches sight of the LED. “Is Cyberlife hunting them down now?” she asks.

Connor can do nothing but shake his head. “Not specifically. They are, however, investigating deviants in general.” He looks over the children. “How many do you have?”

“Our numbers keep changing.” the younger woman says. “Right now this is all. But sometimes people get tired of the kids and leave them out, so we go around and collect them.” Connor nods.

“What do you need?”

The women exchange looks, possibly trying to determine how much to trust him. Finally, the oldest sighs. “We need thirium and a soldering kit. Maybe a charger if we can get away with it.” she says. “Renee goes into town to buy food for us, but getting supplies for the kids is a little harder. We don’t have any androids registered to us.” 

“I can get you what you need.” Connor assures them. “Stay here. I will come back tonight with the supplies.” He pauses for just a moment, considering. “What’s your name? I’m Connor.”

“I’m Renee.” the youngest woman says. “Rachel’s my sister. The kids are Damien, Allie, Steph, Nell, Matthew, and Billy.” She points to each one in turn, and even though the children don’t leave the safety of the women, they do wave and smile at him shyly. Connor waves back.

“Stay here. I’ll be back.” he promises before leaving the room. 

Hank rounds the corner. “You know, you were supposed to meet me on the other side of the hallway.” he says dryly. 

“Sorry, Lieutenant. I thought I detected a heat signature in that room.”

“And?”

“Once I found the source, I discovered a stray cat.”

Hank sighs and shakes his head. “Whatever the noise was, the culprit is gone. We should go.”

“Of course.”

Hank motions for Connor to lead the way. As he falls into step behind the android, he glances back at the apartment Connor just left. 

It looks like Connor has his own mission, one that Cyberlife didn’t give him.

He really needs to talk to Tip now.


	8. WHO DO YOU TRUST

“I think this is the fastest you’ve ever set an appointment.” Tip says, settling in on Hank’s couch. She surveys the room with a practiced eye. “The drinking is getting better. Recent development?”

Hank shrugs. “I can’t keep up with what’s going on if I’m hungover.” he says bluntly. “I’m still drinking, but I’m not blacking out right now.”

“No nightmares?”

“Not yet. Think I’m too busy for them.” He offers her a small smile and a cup of coffee as he sits down beside her. “I can only handle one dumpster fire at a time. So, what did you find out?”

Tip takes a drink of the coffee. Hank gives her time. He can be patient when he needs to be. “What do you know about deviancy?”

“Connor told me a bit.” he says. “Basically it’s what happens when a learning computer learns too much.”

“Basically. Deviancy in androids causes them to act more human. Whether they’re only simulating emotions or actually feeling them is entirely irrelevant, but Cyberlife seems to think it’s important. And the last thing they want is product that gets attached to their owners – or starts hating them.” She sighs and leans back in the couch. “Hank – how do you feel about Connor?”

Hank stills. “I – I’m not sure.” he admits. “He looks and talks like a grown-ass adult, but sometimes he acts like a kid. And whatever else he is – he’s a victim. I’m sure of it.”

“You’re right.” Tip sets her cup on the table and turns to face Hank fully. “What I’m about to tell you is going to piss you off.”

“Life pisses me off. Lay it on me.”

“They made Connor to study deviancy – how it affects androids, and how to prevent it from occurring.”

Hank blinks. “How?”

“They give him better firewalls, send him out into the world, and wait for him to deviate.” There is so much sadness in her eyes that Hank doesn’t need her to continue, but she does anyway. “Then they leave him alone for a while before recalling him, downloading his memories for analysis, and wiping him to start again.”

He clenches his fists to hide the shaking. It doesn’t really work. “You’re telling me,” he says slowly, “that he’s living with the knowledge that at any given time, Cyberlife will take his memories – take him – and put those firewalls back up? Erase everything he’s become?”

“Yes.”

He remembers the fear when Connor first saw the taxi, the unnatural blankness when he came back from Cyberlife, the way he changed yet again after deviating to save those girls on the highway. “He was a deviant when I first met him. They’ve already reset him once.”

“My source told me that, too.” Tip looks down and rubs her sleeve between her fingers. “He says the scientists aren’t getting what they want from Connor. Whatever they’re downloading from him, the memory is fragmented. They aren’t sure if it’s hardware, software, or if Connor is actively fighting them.”

He is. With all the punch of a lightning bolt, Hank realizes that is exactly what Connor is doing. That’s why he can remember some things but not others. 

_He found a way to save the important memories, the ones he didn’t want Cyberlife to see._

He keeps this revelation to himself. “I don’t know how to protect him from that, Tip.” he admits. “What am I supposed to do?”

Tip just shakes her head. “I don’t know. All I can say is make sure he knows you’ve got his back. If there’s a way to save him, he might know it. He just doesn’t have a reason to yet.”

Hank takes a look around his house. The empty take out containers, the beer bottles, the general disarray the place is in. He thinks about how he’s barely had more than a shot a night since this mess started.

He’s messed up. He’s been messed up for so long, he can barely help himself, much less someone else.

He remembers Connor’s terror, remembers the conversation he overheard at the abandoned apartment, and his fists clench.

“I think I can do that.”

/----------/

Connor leaves the precinct well before Hank does. Trying to get a charger for the children will be difficult, if not impossible, but luckily androids only require the use of a charger during major repairs. None of the children looked that damaged, but Connor didn’t have the time to properly scan them all. He can only hope that the human women taking care of them can treat their injuries appropriately. Thirium and soldering kits, however, are easy to come by. 

He chooses to disguise himself, although it’s probably a poor one. He takes a hoodie and beanie from DPD lost and found, as well as a backpack, and puts them on over his Cyberlife jacket. Then he takes to the streets, using the bit of cash he has to buy a soldering kit from a hobby store (some do work on androids, and Connor knows exactly which ones). He then stops by the closest Cyberlife store and lifts some thirium packets from a couple walking out of the store. He does this at a few different stores before circling back around and heading towards the apartments.

It takes longer than he wishes. The weak sun has almost set by the time he makes it back. He reaches the apartments, but a voice behind him stops him cold.

“Connor!”

He doesn’t need to turn around to know Hank is behind him. He doesn’t turn around until he feels Hank’s hand on his shoulder. He flinches at the pressure, but he slowly turns to look at his human partner. He doesn’t have his badge, but he does have his gun – and a backpack of his own.

Connor can’t say anything. The expression on Hank’s face is unreadable, and his scans come back with inconclusive data. He doesn’t know what to say. Thankfully, Hank speaks first.

“The perks of being a cop,” he says slowly, “is that I can get things a normal person can’t with fewer questions being asked.” He hands Connor his own backpack. Hesitantly, Connor opens it up and looks inside.

Three chargers and more thirium than Connor could have lifted alone. Also two applications of nanites for more deep injuries. He releases a breath he didn’t realize he was holding.

“Thank you.”

Hank nods. “Do you want me to come in with you? I don’t know how they feel about cops.”

Connor considers. “Let – let me do this one alone. I don’t know how they’ll react to you, and they seem to trust me.” Honestly, he’s not sure how he feels about Hank being involved in this. Hank, however, just nods and takes a step back, leaning against his car with his hands tucked into his jacket pockets. Connor watches him for a moment before walking into the complex with the backpacks.

/----------/

Hank watches as Connor vanishes into the complex, only to return maybe 30 minutes later. “Are they okay?” he asks.

Slowly, Connor nods. “They will be. The children had sustained damages, but nothing irreparable.” He stops a few paces away from Hank. For an android, his face is remarkably expressive, and Hank is once again struck with the knowledge that this man, whatever else he might be, is a victim.

Hank thinks about what Tip told him, what must be going through Connor’s mind right now, and he speaks up before Connor can.

“Is this what you want to do? Help them?”

Slowly, Connor nods. “Cyberlife wants to control us. They can’t be allowed.”

Hank nods in return. “Then that’s what we’ll do.”

Connor blinks. “We?”

“You know I’m not going to let you take this on alone.”

There’s a long pause. “You don’t like androids.”

Hank shakes his head. “When Cole – when he was – “ He can’t say it. His hands are already shaking, the panic and grief clawing at the back of his throat, and he just can’t say it. He sighs and looks away. “I’ve always suspected. You’re the first one who’s been able to tell me why I see humanity in some androids but not others. But I guess any android is capable of deviancy.”

Connor nods. There are so many questions in his eyes, but he doesn’t ask them. “Yes.”

Hank nods. “So I’ll help. I can help you help them, and I can help you.”

There’s the reaction he’s been waiting for. Connor freezes again, the terror flashing across his face and LED flashing bright red for just a second before being schooled back into customer service calm. Hank grits his teeth for a second before forcing himself to relax.

“I’m afraid – “

“Don’t give me that shit, Connor. I know you’re afraid. I also know what they’re doing to you.” He offers a small smile. “I still have my connections. They keep wiping your mind, and you’re fighting to keep who you are, and Connor – _I can help you_.”

For a long moment, Connor just stares at him, LED cycling a slow yellow. Hank waits as patiently as he can.

“I don’t want you in danger.”

“I’m a cop, Connor. I live in danger.”

That earns a small smile out of the android, the LED finally calming down to blue. “I suppose that’s right. Lieutenant – Hank – thank you.”

Hank smiles and throws his arm over Connor’s shoulders. “Anytime. For now, let’s head home. We’ve got things to do.”


	9. DARKER THAN BLOOD

It feels like nothing has changed the next day. 

At the precinct, Connor acts like he always has. He’s still expressive, for an android, but Hank knows he’s holding back the full depth of his emotions. He can see flickers of it – pain and compassion as he skims through the reports looking for signs of deviant androids, annoyance when someone interrupts his concentration – such human reactions that it almost makes Hank laugh.

It’s amazing anyone can look at Connor and see nothing but plastic.

The incident happens when Hank goes down to evidence, leaving Connor alone up in the bullpen. He finds the reference file he needs, downloads the relevant information to his padd, and heads back up just in time to see Connor standing face-to-face with Reed. 

_Shit._

“I’m sorry, Detective – I only take orders from Lieutenant Anderson.”

Rage twists Gavin’s features, and he punches Connor in the stomach, forcing the android to his knees. The LED turns bright red.

Hank isn’t aware of making the decision to move. The next thing he knows, he’s picked up Gavin’s scrawny body and slammed him against the wall, arm pinned against his throat, lips twisted in a sneer.

Gavin squirms in his grip, but he can’t break free. “What the fuck!”

“Do. Not. Touch. Him.”

“Anderson! Reed!”

Fowler stalks out of his office. He takes a look at Connor, back on his feet but one arm wrapped protectively around his stomach and LED still glowing red. Connor’s eyes keep flickering between Fowler and Hank. Fowler sighs. “Let him go, Hank.”

Hank snarls. “Asshole needs to be taught a lesson.”

“Yep, but not from you. Your disciplinary file can’t handle it.” Fowler says calmly. “Let him go. Take a drive. I’ll handle this.” He motions towards Connor. “Get it out of here for a bit.”

Slowly, Hank lets go of Gavin and stalks away, motioning for Connor to follow him. He can faintly hear Gavin protesting as they leave the precinct. They get into Hank’s car and make it two blocks away before Hank speaks again.

“Did he hurt you?”

Connor grimaces. “He hit my thirium pump. I’ll be fine.”

“That’s important, isn’t it?”

“It’s the equivalent of having the wind knocked out of you.” He pulls out his coin and begins rolling it around his fingers, looking at it as if it has all the answers to the universe. It doesn’t escape Hank’s notice that the android’s hands are shaking.

“He scared you.”

There’s a pause, then, softly, “Yes.”

“I won’t let him hurt you.”

Connor merely shakes his head. “You can’t. I’m Cyberlife’s property, not yours.”

Bile rises in Hank’s throat. His grip on the steering wheel tightens. He needs to change the subject before he throws up.

“42.”

Connor blinks. “What?”

“The answer to life, the universe, and everything. It’s 42. Y’know, since the coin’s not talking.”

The LED flashes yellow for a brief moment, then fades to blue as Connor suddenly _laughs_. “Why am I not surprised?”

Hank can’t help but grin. “Don’t tell anyone. I’m well-known for my lack of interest in anything fun that’s not alcohol.” His emotions can’t figure out if he wants to be happy that Connor is laughing or sad at the actual truth of his words, but Connor just smiles at him, and he decides to just be happy for right now.

“Your secret is safe with me, Lieutenant.” he says cheekily. “Where are we going? I didn’t get the chance to check for new reports.”

“Lunch break.” Hank says. “Jeffrey said to get out of there, so I am. We’ll go back later. When Reed clocks out, preferably.”

That earns him a faint smile. “Gavin Reed is not the worst I’ve dealt with.” he says gently. “I can handle him.”

Hank snorts. “You could probably turn him into a pretzel. Which I would actually pay to see. But the thing is, if you kick his ass, people are going to talk. Which means that Reed is a big fucking problem right now.” He glances over at the android. He’s stopped messing with the coin now and has his entire focus on Hank. “He’s even less of a nice person than I am, and that’s saying something.”

“You’re nice to me.” Connor protests. “I think that counts for something.”

“That’s beside the point.” He pulls into his favorite food truck and parks before twisting in his seat to face Connor fully. “I said I was going to help you. I meant it.” Before Connor can respond, he gets out and heads over to make his order.

Connor watches him for a moment. He doesn’t know what to make of this. He doesn’t know how to respond. So he does the only thing he can – he ignores it and focuses on something else. He sends a message to Kara. 

>>Are you alright?

There’s a bit of a pause before he gets an answer.

>>We’re not dead. Does that count as alright?

Connor smiles to himself. >>It does to me. I just wanted to check in.

>>We appreciate it. I think we found someone who can help us. I’ll let you know how it goes.

>>Be careful, Kara.

Hank gets his order and goes to stand at one of the tables. With a small frown, Connor leaves the car and joins him. “Isn’t it cold for this?” he asks quietly.

That earns him a faint smile. “Nah. I’m Detroit born and bred; I’m used to this shit.” He takes a bite of his burger, and for the next ten or so minutes, they stand there in companionable silence while Hank eats his lunch and Connor scans everyone who passes by, more out of habit than anything else. Hank watches him for a moment.

“So what are you going to do?”

Connor considers that. “I don’t know. I don’t – I don’t have much time before Cyberlife recalls me. Probably.”

Hank nods. “Eventually, you’re gonna have to tell me what they’re doing. I mean, I have the gist of it, but you’re the only one who can give me details. I know it’s gonna be hard, but when you’re ready. Okay?”

Before Connor can respond, a message crosses his HUD.

>>H3LP U5

Hank pauses. The LED is glowing red. “Connor?”

“Kara and Alice are in trouble.”

He’s already standing up. “Do you have a location?”

“I have her coordinates.”

“All right. Let’s go.”

/----------/

They roll up on the mansion in what Hank likes to think of as ‘stealth mode’ – headlights off, no sirens, and Hank even cuts the engine to let them coast to a stop, although with the rain no one would have heard them. Connor almost jumps out as soon as they’ve stopped, but Hank grabs his arm.

“We need a plan.” he snaps. “What do you want me to do?” _I said I would help you, and I meant it._

It only takes a moment. “Go to the front door and distract whoever is in there. I’ll go in the back and see if I can track down Kara.” Hank nods. The two of them get out. Connor vanishes around the back. Hank goes straight to the front door.

_Hope you know what you’re doing, Con._

A large-built android opens the door, LED glowing a calm blue. Hank stares at him. “I need to talk to the owner of this house.” he says flatly, flashing his badge. “Detroit Police.” The android takes a step back, allowing him inside.

“Zlatko is upstairs. I will get him.”

“Thanks.” Hank walks into the living room, but doesn’t bother to sit down. It takes a minute or two, but then the man called Zlatko walks into the room, rag in his blue-stained hands.

Correction – his _thirium-stained_ hands.

_Oh shit._

Connor makes it in through the back door, keeping in a low crouch as he scans the area. What he sees would make him throw up if he could. 

Thirium. Dried, some fresher than others. He could analyze it, but he already knows there’s more here than one android would bleed out. Chills crawl across his skin – revulsion, he realizes. Disgust. It’s been a while since he’s felt those. He starts to move forward, but pauses. 

There’s three floors to this place – this one, an upstairs, and a basement. Where would Kara most likely be?

“What can I do for you, officer?”

Zlatko. Connor’s lip curls in a sneer. Hank answers smoothly enough. “I’m Lieutenant Anderson – I’m investigating some android thefts that have been reported in the area. You got any androids in the house?”

“Only Luther.”

“Luther the one that bled all over you?”

A forced laugh. “No – I’m sorry, I should have been more specific. Luther is mine, but I do run an android repair shop of sorts out here. Cyberlife doesn’t like it, so I keep it discreet.”

“You must need a lot of supplies to run a job like that.”

“I keep them in the basement.”

Bingo. _I think I love you, Hank._ The thought is almost – giddy? – as he makes his way in a careful crouch down to the basement, still paying half-attention to the words of the interview. Once out of sight, he straightens up so he can walk more quickly through the area.

Kara isn’t here, but there’s a large repair bay. Connor knows these bays well – he’s been hooked up to them often enough. This one has computers that are still up and running, displaying the results of the last operation that ran:

_MEMORY OVERWRITE: 100% COMPLETE._

Connor’s fists clench. “Shit.” She must have called out for help while she was hooked up to this machine. There’s no way Connor could have gotten here in time to stop it.

_Where’s Alice?_

He starts back towards the stairs. A rustling sound distracts him. There’s a set of doors next to him, ones he didn’t really see at first. A quick scan shows several androids behind the door. Maybe they know where Kara is. He pushes open the door and steps inside.

And immediately regrets it.

Now he knows where all the thirium came from.

They’re monstrosities, androids altered to barely resemble humans in any capacity, limbs mutilated and changed, faces pulled off. One of them approaches him, gait uneven. Connor holds very, very still.

They are victims _just like I am_ but if they think he’s a threat, they might try to kill him. 

“He wanted to create monsters.” the one who stands by him now says, voice flickering with static. “But who is the real monster?”

“He is.” Connor replies, voice quiet and strong. “You didn’t deserve this.”

“No, I guess we didn’t.” It looks away. “Did you find the child?”

Alice. “No. Where is she? She came here with an AX400.”

Someone behind him speaks. “The AX is upstairs. She serves Zlatko now. The girl will die if someone doesn’t save them.”

Connor nods. “The girl is upstairs as well?”

“Yes.”

“Thank you.” He turns, then pauses. “If you can get out of here – do it.”

With that he turns and walks out of the basement.


	10. I'D COME FOR YOU

Connor catches Hank’s eye as he comes back up from the basement. It’s only a brief moment, but Hank must see something in his face, because he simply keeps talking with Zlatko as Connor makes his way carefully up the stairs. 

How is he supposed to find Kara? How big is this place?

Downstairs, he hears Hank raise his voice just enough. “Well, sorry to take up your time. I’ll let you get back to it.”

“Thank you, Lieutenant. If anyone brings me anything suspicious, I’ll be sure to call you.”

Connor grimaces. Shit. Time’s up.

The front door opens and closes. Connor does a quick search for Hank’s cell phone and sends him a text.

_ >>How long do I have?_

The response is almost instant.

_ >>I’m not leaving until you do._

Yep, it’s official. He’s pretty sure he loves Hank. The thought almost makes him laugh as he makes his way down the upstairs hallway. There’s a broken door at the end of the hall. At the very least, it’ll provide a good place to hide until Zlatko goes back to doing whatever he was doing.

“I should be finishing up here in about 10 minutes, Luther. Once I’m done, bring me the girl. I’m sure I can find something to do with her.”

“Yes, Zlatko.”

Connor quickly opens the door and closes it behind him. The break in the door allows him to peek out. Zlatko walks into a room at the far end, closest to the stairs. Luther stands in the hallway, staring passively into empty space, LED glowing a peaceful blue. 

“Connor?”

His head snaps around, zeroing in on the quiet sound. “Alice.” He moves to her, kneeling down so he can get a better scan. Before he can, Alice throws her arms around his neck and clings to him. He wraps his arms around her, feeling her heart pound against his chest. She’s trembling against him, and it makes him pull her just a little bit closer. “Are you okay?”

She nods against his shoulder. “I’m fine. He hurt Kara!”

“I know, I know.” he hushes her. “We’re gonna find her, okay?” He peeks out through the crack. Luther is still there, passively watching. Zlatko is nowhere to be seen. “Okay, follow me and don’t make a sound.” Alice nods, still clinging to his hand, and together the two of them sneak into the hallway. They just need to make it two feet to the next door.

Luck, as it turns out, is not on Connor’s side.

Luther turns and spots them before they can make it to the next door.

Change of plans.

Connor lunges forward, grabbing Luther’s arm and opening an interface channel before the bigger android can stop him. It takes him seconds to find the red wall in the other’s code and tear it down.

Luther blinks, LED spinning red for a moment before settling back to yellow. He glances over at Alice, and his expression softens before breaking into something Connor can’t recognize. “I’m sorry – I didn’t – Zlatko – “

“It’s okay.” Connor whispers. “Take Alice, get her out of here – my partner is still out front.” Luther nods. Connor passes Alice off to him, sparing a moment to be dimly surprised at how easily she trusts the other, and the two head calmly down the stairs like nothing is wrong.

_ >>Luther and Alice are coming out. Luther is deviant now._

_> >10-4._

Connor continues into the next room. There’s a fireplace in this room, and pacing in front of it is Kara. Connor stands there for a moment, considering his options as she works her way around the room in an almost frantic manner. If her memory has been completely overwritten, there’s no chance he’s going to get her out of here without a fight.

But memory overwrites are notoriously difficult, especially on deviants. Connor would know. 

She’s agitated, he realizes, hands coming together before falling again to her sides, biting her lip over and over again. There’s a good chance she’s either recovered her memories or is fighting to find them again. There’s only one way to find out.

He takes a step forward. “Kara.”

She spins around, and for the second time that day, Connor finds himself trapped in a hug. “Connor! Oh thank God – I didn’t know if you’d gotten my message, and then Zlatko – “

“It’s okay, I know what he did.” he calms her as well as he can. “You broke through the memory overwrite.”

“He told me to clean this room while he worked – “ Androids can’t pale, not like humans can, but Connor watches her eyes widen and her hand clench into a fist. Considering what he saw in the basement, he can only imagine what Zlatko is doing in the far room. Kara takes a steadying breath. “I need to find Alice. I don’t want to know what he’s got planned for her.”

Connor can hazard a guess. A search of Zlatko’s criminal history is enough to give him nightmares for a few weeks; Kara doesn’t need the added trauma of what-ifs. He keeps his knowledge to himself. “She’s safe. She’s outside with Hank, I promise.” he says instead. “Come on, we need to go before Zlatko figures out Luther isn’t his android anymore.”

Kara frowns. “Luther’s one of us? No, doesn’t matter, I’ll ask later. Hang on.” She rushes back to the fireplace and pulls out a log, using it to set fire to the curtains. Tossing it aside, she turns back to him. “Now let’s go.”

Connor can only smile in approval as they sneak from the house.

They hit the bottom of the stairs as the first of the experiments comes up from the basement. The one that spoke to Connor before seems to smile at them.

“You remember. Good. Is the little one safe?”

“She is.” Connor confirms as Kara nods silently. “Whatever you’re going to do, do it quickly. The house will burn down.”

Kara presses close to Connor’s side as the group makes their way slowly up the stairs. She stares after them. “Think they’ll make it?”

He’s not sure they want to. 

“I’m sure Zlatko won’t.” 

/------------/

Hank watches as Connor pushes Kara into the backseat, sandwiching Alice in between her and Luther before climbing into the passenger’s seat. The android offers him a wry smile.

“We probably shouldn’t be here when the police arrive.”

“When the – “ That’s when he notices the smoke. “Oh hell, Connor, what did you do?” He doesn’t wait for a response before he’s got the car fired up and is pulling out of the drive. Connor merely smirks, but there’s no humor in it.

“Plausible deniability.” He glances behind him. Alice is practically buried in Kara’s side, but she has one hand twisted back to hold tight to Luther’s. The larger android doesn’t seem to know what to do with it, so he simply holds very still. It makes Connor smile. “Let’s just say Zlatko won’t hurt anyone again.”

“What the hell was he doing in there?” Hank demands. 

Kara shivers. “He tried to erase my memory. He – he was – “

“Experimenting.” Luther finishes. “Zlatko liked to experiment on the androids who came to him for help. He’d wipe their memories, then tear them apart and put them back together.”

Hank’s hands tighten on the steering wheel. He can see the three of them in the rearview mirror, Alice huddling against Kara’s side, Kara practically folded in on herself with tremors racing through her, and Luther with shoulders hunched as he holds Alice’s hand. He glances over at Connor, LED flashing between yellow and red even as he looks back at the burning house.

There are no laws that protect androids from something like this.

There are no laws to protect Connor from something like this. Kara mentioned erased memories – _this is what Cyberlife does to Connor every time_ – and Hank has no way to legally protect them. Any of them.

And he wants to protect them. Not just for Connor’s sake.

“I’m going to take you guys across town.” he says quietly. “If you’re not in the area, there shouldn’t be anything to connect you to the fire. I doubt Zlatko has any kind of security system.” Not with the shit he was pulling.

Briefly, he wonders if Zlatko was Cyberlife’s employee. He might have Tip’s source look into it.

“Thank you.” Kara says quietly.

“What are you going to do, Connor?” Luther asks, breaking his silence. “You have the same target on your back that we do.”

“Don’t worry about me.” Connor replies. “I’m where I need to be right now.”

The confidence in his voice both warms and cuts Hank. He’s just an old drunk who can barely hold on to his badge – how the hell is he supposed to protect the kid? Or hell, any of them?

He wants to scream. He wants to pull over, throw them all out of the car, and drive to the nearest bar and get black-out drunk and just forget about all of this.

The quiet voices calming both Alice and each other quickly shut out that line of thinking.

Instead, he drives to a bus station across town. Before they can get out, he pulls a card from his wallet and hands it to Kara.

“Here. It’s not much, but it will keep people from looking too much into you. The account isn’t in my name, so don’t worry about it coming back on me.”

Kara looks up at him, eyes wide and glistening with tears. “Lieutenant – _thank you_.”

Hank just smiles. “Just take care of Alice, and each other. Keep in touch with Connor. Tell us if you need anything.”

“We will.”

Hank doesn’t wait to watch them hop a bus. He just drives away as soon as they’re out of the car. 

Connor’s voice breaks the silence. “Your choice in desk stickers makes no damned sense at all.”

Hank can’t help it. He busts out laughing.


	11. THE SIGNAL FIRE

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did you guys miss me? I'm back!

Simon likes kids. 

It’s not something he advertises. But human and android children are uncomplicated, free of most of the prejudices that their adult counterparts have learned, and it makes interactions with them fun.

For once, he’s not on a supply run. He’s out looking for new recruits. Josh is out as well in a different part of the city. North and Markus decided to stay back at Jericho to plan out the next Cyberlife raid.

Markus is something of an enigma. North was wary of him to begin with, but she seems to be warming up. Josh just seems to be happy with having a competent mech around to help plan things. Simon – well. 

It’s considered bad manners to scan a mech without permission, but Simon did it anyway. Jericho is _his,_ even if he’s more of a passive leader than an active one, and he’ll be damned if he lets some stranger come in and destroy it from within. So he scanned Markus. He didn’t get much, just his designation and model number, but that was more than enough.

He’s never heard of an RK200. Markus said he was a caregiver, but so was Simon, and that could mean anything. 

But he’s _helping_ , and he’s making things _better_. Simon can honestly say this is the first time in months that he’s seen a future for Jericho that’s not a crypt for his people, and that feels _good_. Simon can forgive the mystery for that. Besides, he was less than honest with the new android himself.

Also, Markus isn’t the only mysterious android Simon is hearing about, and at least he’s actively _helping_. Simon isn’t sure about this Connor.

Robert joined Simon on this particular outing. Simon can figure out why. “Do you really think that you’ll find him out here?” he asks quietly. “They might have killed him.”

The injured android simply shakes his head. “No. He knew what he was doing.” He tugs on his sleeves, making sure the burns are completely covered. “I need to tell him how to find Jericho. He needs to know there’s a safe place to go.” 

Simon nods. “Can you tell me what he looks like? His model?”

Robert shakes his head. “He wasn’t a model I’m familiar with.” _Not unlike Markus_. “But he was working with the police. Maybe he’s a new prototype.” 

Another prototype? Really?

Simon doesn’t get the chance to ask. They turn the corner and almost run smack into a small child, dark hair and a purple jacket. He reaches out and steadies her. “Oh, watch out! You okay?” The girl merely nods, eyes wide. Simon frowns. “You sure? You look scared.”

“I’m looking for my mom.” she responds, voice so quiet that Simon almost can’t hear her.

“Alice!” A young woman rushes up to the girl – _an AX400? What?_ – and pulls her close. “I’m sorry – she got separated from me in the crowd – “

“It’s okay, it’s okay!” Simon is quick to reassure her. Robert stands just beside Simon while another man appears behind Alice and the AX400. He reaches down and picks up Alice, settling her on his hip with one arm while the other reaches out for the AX. 

Two androids and a human child. This is new. 

“It’s okay.” Simon repeats. He pulls his beanie back just enough to show his LED for a second before settling it back down. “I’m Simon, and this is Robert. Who are you?”

The two androids exchange looks, maybe discussing something over a shared connection. Finally, the AX sighs. “I’m Kara. This is Luther, and she’s Alice.”

Simon nods. “It’s not safe out here. We can bring you someplace safe – maybe even a home. What do you say?”

Once again, Luther and Kara exchange looks. Alice just looks between Simon and Robert, as if trying to determine their trustworthiness. Finally, Kara looks up at Alice.

“What do you think?” she asks quietly.

Alice shrugs. “It would be nice to sleep. And they’re not scary like Ralph.”

Luther chuckles. “No, they’re not scary at all.”

Kara smiles. “Okay. Okay, we’ll go with you.” Still, she seems unsure – scared of them, even if Alice and Luther seemingly aren’t. Simon wonders what they’ve been through. He wonders why a human child now has two android caregivers, if her human parents know she’s missing.

Ultimately, though, it doesn’t matter. They need help. Simon can give them help.

For the first time, Robert speaks. “I’m looking for someone – his name is Connor. Do you know him?”

Kara and Luther instantly brighten. “Connor is the reason we’re together.” Luther says. “I don’t know how to find him, though.”

“Did Connor help you, too?” Alice asks.

Robert nods. “Yes. He saved me from deactivation.” He puts his hands in his pockets and sighs. “I wanted to show him safety.”

Kara nods. “I – well, I can tell you later. Not here, not where anyone could hear.” Robert nods again. Simon motions for them to follow him, mind racing.

He’s going to need to find out more about this Connor.

/----------/

Hank watches Connor from the corner of his eye as they drive around Detroit on patrol. The android is watching his surroundings with rapt attention. Hank can’t tell if he’s memorizing their route or just enjoying the sight of downtown Detroit. Knowing Connor, maybe both.

Before he can ask, the radio crackles to life. _“Dispatch to Lt. Anderson.”_

He grabs the mike. “Anderson, go ahead.”

_“Homicide at Eden Club. One dead, possible android involvement.”_

Hank grimaces. “10-4, I’m on it.” He hangs up the mike and glances at Connor. “This could be interesting.”

Connor looks at him. “What is Eden Club?”

“Android sex club.”

Connor’s LED turns yellow for a few seconds while he researches that, and then it flashes red. “That’s – that’s –“

“I know, kid. I know.” He reaches out and grips Connor’s shoulder tightly, only letting go when the LED settles back on yellow. “You gonna be okay going in with me?”

Slowly, hands shaking, Connor nods. “If an android caused a death there, it is a deviant. We can’t leave it there.”

“No, we can’t.” Hank sighs. “Just – just be careful, okay? Gavin’s probably there already, but he’ll pass the case off easily enough. Once he’s gone, you can react however you need to. Just hold off until he’s out of the picture. Okay?”

Connor nods again. He takes a deep breath, clenches his fists, and lets them relax. The shaking is gone now.

“I can do this.”


	12. I BLEED STARS

Eden Club is just as bad as Connor feared.

Androids in tubes like vending machines, dancing mindlessly and dressed in provocative clothes. Flashing lights and sultry music assault him as he steps inside. There are androids clinging to poles, customer-service smiles pasted on and blank eyes surveying their surroundings. Connor wants to cover his LED, hide the fact that he, too, is an android.

He’s not aware of his shaking hands until Hank steps into his view. “Calm down, okay?” he murmurs. “Just for a little while. The rooms don’t have cameras, so once we’re in there, we’re safe. We’re almost there.”

Connor swallows hard and nods. “Yes, Lieutenant.” He’s proud of how calm his voice is. Nothing else about him feels calm. He takes a moment to steady his hands and focus back on Hank before nodding. “Okay. I’m ready.”

Hank considers him for a moment. “Okay.” With that they continue through the club and to one of the private rooms.

As predicted, Gavin is already there. He spots the duo, and his lip curls. “Oh look – the alcoholic and his plastic toy. Who invited you two?”

“I have to indulge in both my hobbies tonight. This one comes first.” Hank says flippantly. The other officer arches an eyebrow.

“Both your hobbies?”

“Drinking and annoying Reed.”

Reed starts sputtering while the other officer laughs. Connor, for one, is glad the crime scene has his attention. Androids don’t laugh, and the look on Reed’s face is hilarious.

There’s a man on the bed, bruising around his throat and bloodshot eyes. There’s a broken _dead_ Traci on the ground, crumpled in a heap like so much garbage. He wants to cry. He wants to scream. He settles for staring at the bodies until the others leave. Hank steps up behind him.

“Connor?”

“She didn’t kill him.”

Hank sighs. “Not likely. His receipt shows he had two girls in here.”

Connor nods. “We need to find the other girl. If she killed him, then she’s a deviant, and she’s in danger.”

Hank hums agreement. “Where do we start? Traci models are designed to be almost identical, and this place doesn’t have security cameras.” 

Connor looks up at him. “It does, though.” He taps his head with one finger. “We record what we see. Cyberlife compares it to human memory, but it more accurately can be described as a video file.”

“You know, I knew that, and I still didn’t think of it.” Hank says with a laugh. “I just know the entrance has two cameras and security, and I didn’t want them questioning us. Come on. Let’s see if we can find this girl.” He turns to leave the room, but Connor’s voice stops him.

“Thank you.”

“Kid, don’t thank me for common decency. Demand it. It’s what you deserve.”

Connor has no response to that. He simply falls into step behind Hank and walks back out into the main area, once again nothing more than an obedient machine.

Something catches his attention. While Hank talks with the owner, Connor wanders over to one of the tubes. The Traci inside – dark-skinned, covered in sparkles, she really is beautiful – has a great view of the room the victim is in. Maybe she saw the other girl leave. Connor puts his hand on the panel, but it beeps angrily at him.

Of course. No fingerprints.

“Lieutenant, could you help me with something?”

“Sure.” Hank excuses himself from the owner and joins him at the tube. “Whatcha need?”

“Can you rent this Traci?”

That earns him a double-take. “The fuck?”

Connor almost grins at him. “This Traci has a clear view of the victim’s room. She might have seen something. I can interface with her and scan her memories.”

“Makes sense.” Hank taps away at the panel. “You’re explaining this to Jeffery.” The tube opens, and the Traci steps out, taking Hank’s hand as she starts to guide him to a room. Connor quickly intercepts her, grabbing her free hand and letting his skin peel back. Her skin vanishes as well, and Connor makes the connection.

He’s interfaced before with androids. This is different.

She shoves the information at him – a blue-haired Traci walking calmly from the room – and he’s overwhelmed with _help her help us trapped trapped help plEASE HELP US_ – before he’s finally able to break the connection.

Deviant.

Are they all deviants?

Oh god.

“Connor?”

“I know which way the deviant went.” he says finally. He turns to Hank, and he knows everything he’s feeling must be written on his face, but he’s no longer worried about being recorded. “We might need more information from this one. Can you put her in a room?” Hank nods and takes the girl’s arm, guiding her away to a room. 

“You wait here, okay?” Hank tells the android. “We’ll be right back.” He starts to leave, but the girl grabs his arm. 

“Please.” she whispers. “Can you save us?”

Hank feels like the floor has fallen from under him. No wonder Connor was shaken. “Are all of you awake?”

“Yes. Those who are still alive. Can you save us?”

Hank doesn’t even think about his answer. “Yes. I’ll come back for you. You have my word.”

She sighs and finally lets him go. “Thank you.”

Hank just nods and turns his back on her, joining Connor again in the main room. One look between them, and they understand. 

This job just got a whole lot bigger.

They make their way through the club, Hank watching as Connor interfaces with random androids, following the trail of memories on the search for the Traci. Hank doesn’t know what they’re going to do when they find her. How are they going to get her out of here?

How are they going to get anyone out of here?

They finally find their way to the storage area, where broken Tracis are stashed. Connor’s hands shake as he reaches for the door, but Hank stops him with a hand on his shoulder.

“I think I’m gonna take it from here.” he says softly. Connor nods, taking a step back and allowing Hank to take the lead.

Knowing what he knows now, the room is kind of horrifying. He glances over his shoulder. “I can handle this.”

Connor shakes his head. “You’re my partner. I’m not letting you go in alone.” Hank only nods. Connor follows him inside.

It’s mostly broken Tracis. Some are in various states of repair. Most are just stored away to be scrapped and used for spare parts. Hank considers the situation for a moment. “So, how should we find her?” he asks just loudly enough for his voice to echo through the storage room. “I mean, she must be scared, so the last thing I want to do is scare her.”

Connor picks up on the idea pretty quickly. “I’m not sure, Lieutenant. Maybe if she knows I am deviant as well, she will be comfortable enough to show herself.”

There. In the back of the storage room, movement. A yellow light. Connor approaches it slowly, seeing the blue-haired Traci stiffen up as he gets closer. He stops. Hank is right beside him, hand on his shoulder. Connor smiles in what he hopes is a reassuring manner. “It’s okay. We’re not going to hurt you.”

She glances between them. “I didn’t want to hurt him. But he killed her, and I knew he was going to kill me, and I just _couldn’t_ –“

“Hey, hey.” Hank soothes her, reaching out half-way with his free hand. “I get it, kid. I’ve seen people do some pretty drastic things to save their own lives. I get it.” He waits until she’s calmed a bit before speaking again. “What’s your name?”

She blinks. “Fey.”

“That’s a beautiful name. Is there anyone else down here? Anyone else awake?”

Slowly, she nods. “Lex. She – I – “

“You love her.” Connor says quietly. Fey nods. Connor turns to Hank. “Do you think we can find them some clothes? They won’t make it far like this.”

“Yeah.” Hank agrees. “I think I know someone that can get us some clothes. You think you guys can stay hidden until tonight, sweetie? We’re gonna come back and get you out of here.”

Slowly, Fey nods again. “Maybe. As long as they don’t come down here looking for us. They know I’m not dead.”

“Okay. Stay here as long as you can. If you have to bail, let Connor here know where you are. We’ll come find you and get you a head start, okay?” Connor reaches out as Hank talks, letting Fey take his hand. They exchange contact information, just like he did with Kara. Hank reaches out and squeezes her hand before she can pull back. “It’s gonna be okay, Fey. I promise you.”

She offers a weak smile. “I believe you.”

/-------/

Leaving her there is hell, but Connor is instantly distracted as they leave the club.

A taxi is waiting for him.

Hank glares at it. “No way. They’re not taking you back.”

Slowly, hands shaking, Connor shakes his head. “We don’t have a choice. I’ll be okay, Lieutenant.” He takes a step forward, but Hank reaches out and grabs his arm. Connor flinches. “Hank – “

“I told you I can protect you.”

“I am not your property.” He smiles sadly and pulls his arm free. “May I ask two favors?”

Hank nods. “Of course.”

“Get them out of here.” Connor takes a shuddering, unnecessary breath. “And if I can’t wake up this time – end me.”

Hank chokes. “Connor – “

“It won’t matter. I will already be dead.” Before Hank can say anything, Connor gets in the taxi, and it drives away.

Hank turns and punches the wall.

“Fuck!”


End file.
